Could it be a blessing in disguise?

Our car was written off in an accident just over a week ago and over the past few days, after much discussion, we've decided to not replace it.

I'm really excited by the thought of this and the challenge it presents! We're so used to the 'convenience' of having a car in our driveway for the past 4yrs, that it is going to take some adjusting to, and this will be the first time we're carless since having children... I'm sort of scared and excited by this at the same time!

One of the biggest reasons FOR needing a car was for getting out and about with the kids, getting to the chiro (20min drive away), getting to the hospital (10min drive away) and getting the kids to daycare 3 days a week.

So, first up, I took a big step a couple of days ago and approached a childcare centre which is just around the corner from us (5min walk) and had a walk through with the kids to see if they liked it (they did), and asked if they had places for them both, as the daycare centre they go to at the moment is 2 bus trips away from where we live, and although I'm keen to use public transport, I'm just not up to that sort of travel 3 days a week with my wild children and a bump in tow.

The answer was yes... So far our no car plan was going good!

For two days a week they will attend that daycare around the corner from us, and on Wednesdays, I'm going to catch the bus and walk with them to their current daycare. I felt this was the best solution because I don't want to pull them out of there entirely at the moment because they love the kids and staff at the current centre so much I really want to make sure they're happy at the new one before I completely uproot them.

What a weight off my shoulders it was knowing they had spots at a daycare they liked that is just around the corner from home.

Not having a car also means I am going to be forced to be more active... which I am really excited about! I am going to walk the kids to daycare, walk to the local shops (supporting smaller local businesses in my area rather than the big monster ones a bit further down the road) and using public transport to get to my midwife visits and daycare on Wednesdays etc.

Call me crazy, but all this is really exciting to me!

To top it off, financially it is an amazingly attractive way to live. It means we will save approximately $600 a month on car related expenses which in turn is going to bring us closer to owning our own abode.

Deciding to have no car meant reevaluating a few other things as well, for instance, we were planning on moving to the Gold Coast when the lease on this house ran out next month.. or... we were going to see about keeping the house for an extra 6months and moving to the GC early next year.

Yesterday we decided to sign another year long lease (we love the house and the area afterall) and that will mean in September next year, we'll be ready to move house and hopefully will have saved enough for a deposit for a house of our own. This will work out perfectly in time for when Julian starts school the following year, which has been our aim... to have a house before the kids started school.

Love how it all works out and how the chain of events is all so subtly connected.